Food and drug retailer bolsters specialty drug capabilities

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. has acquired MedCart Specialty Pharmacy, a Livonia, Mich.-based provider of pharmacy services for people with complex diseases.

Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. Plans call for MedCart, privately owned since 2012, to operate under its current leadership as a new business unit in Albertsons’ pharmacy organization. The MedCart unit will report to Dain Rusk, group vice president of pharmacy operations at Albertsons.

Albertsons said the acquisition will augment its specialty pharmacy capabilities, provided through its its Albertsons Specialty Care unit.

“MedCart Specialty Pharmacy has built an exemplary operation which complements our patient-centered care strategy and pharmacy services growth plan,” Mark Panzer, senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Albertsons, said in a statement. “Their team has done a tremendous job establishing a service culture that focuses on the patient.”

Accredited by URAC, MedCart provides specialty care and medication management services for patients with chronic or complex diseases — including cancer, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, HIV, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, infertility and growth hormone deficiency — as well as for physicians serving this patient population.

“We’re excited to join the Albertsons Cos. team,” stated Eddie Abueida, co-founder and vice president of specialty operations for MedCart. “Our business principles and goals complement one another, which benefit everyone involved in the partnership — most importantly, our patients.”

MedCart provides its specialty drug services from two facilities in Michigan: a specialty pharmacy operations center and a local pharmacy.

“We’ve worked hard to create an infrastructure that serves patients and providers with the utmost in quality specialty care services and coordination that are required for these medications,” commented Ed Saleh, co-founder and vice president of specialty business development for MedCart. “Albertsons Cos. presented an excellent opportunity for us to extend our mission to more patients.”

In January, Albertsons said Albertsons Specialty Care earned specialty pharmacy accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), a nonprofit health standards organization.

Albertsons Specialty Care provides specialty medications for a range of complex diseases and conditions, such as cancer, hepatitis C, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, mental health, addiction recovery, human growth hormone deficiencies and hemophilia. The specialty pharmacy services also include personalized care to facilitate patient access to medications and help them improve health outcomes.